1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to suture retainers, and more particularly to suture-retainers made from one-piece retaining structures.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There are many suture packages known in the art, including suture retainers as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,052,511; 5,154,283; 5,246104; 5,261,210; 5,359,831; 5,417,036; 5,462,162; 5,906,273; 6,076,659; and 6,135,272. These retainers may be defined as having either: an oval-shaped area to retain one or more sutures in an overlapping coiled configuration; or a continuous oval retaining area to maintain one or more sutures in a spiraling non-overlapping oval configuration. In either instance, the retainers are known to be formed from two mating components, such as a base and a cover, to secure the suture in the suture retaining area. However, only in the instance of an overlapping coiled configuration are retainers known to be formed from a one-piece retaining structure.
An important aspect of the design and manufacture of suture packages is that the suture should be removable from the retainer without becoming entangled with itself, entangled with the retainer, kinked, coiled or bound in undesirable ways. In the case of the retainers using the overlapping coil configuration, whether made from a one-piece retaining structure or two mating components, the suture may become entangled with itself prior to use or may be pulled taught against itself while being removed from the package. In the case of the retainers using the spiraling non-overlapping oval configuration, the suture may become entangled in a gap in the interface between the base and the cover prior to use (also known as the “capstan effect”) or may be pulled taught against the retaining area while being removed from the package. Such problems cause the removal of the suture from the retainer to become more difficult, time-consuming, and in extreme cases, damaging to the suture.
This problem may also occur in one-piece structures which include movable or pivotable parts, such as those packages described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,967,902 and 5,165,217. These packages include a multiplicity of door means hingingly attached to channels designed for storing the suture. The door means is described as having to pivot from an open position to a closed position over the suture channel to maintain the suture in the channel. Similar to the two-piece structure, these one-piece suture packages are still capable of snagging the suture at the position where the door means meets the channel wall. As described in both disclosures referenced above, the packages further require fins and standoffs to prevent the suture from binding or becoming entrapped in the door locking means.
As a result, recent emphasis has been placed on creating packaging for sutures which decreases or eliminates the possibility of a portion of the suture binding to gaps in the suture package or other portions of the suture.